Methylchloroform (1,1,1-trichloroethane) is an industrial solvent widely used for cleaning and degreasing. Pure methylchloroform is unreactive in comparison to industrial unsaturated chlorinated solvents such as trichloroethylene and perchloroethylene, except in the presence of certain metals. Consequently, a wide variety of stabilizer additives for methylchloroform have been developed to prevent metal-induced decomposition in a working environment; principally in the cleaning of articles containing iron and aluminum.
An especially effective group of additives for reducing the metal-catalyzed decomposition of methylchloroform is 1,3-dioxolane and its alkyl homologues; see U.S. Pat. No. 3,251,891 granted May 17, 1966 and British Pat. No. 1,044,380 published Sept. 28, 1966. Another useful metal-stabilizing additive for methylchloroform is 1,4-dioxane; see U.S. Pat. No. 2,811,252 granted Oct. 29, 1957.